Western Colorado (April 2008)

Written by ceddammit

If you’re hoping to see a Halloween post, then try this one. Today’s post is not Halloweeny. That is, unless you’re dressed as a cactus or a headless chicken.

During my last few years of living in Colorado, I made regular (roughly annual) treks to western Colorado. These trips usually centered on the town of Fruita, and the mountain biking opportunities surrounding it. Today’s ThrowBack Thursday takes us back to April 2008. This was one of the earliest of my western Colorado treks and was the first where I had a digital camera. That’s right: the Old Cheap-n-Crappy(TM) camera. On this trip, the camera was not yet Old nor Crappy. It has always been Cheap. Nevertheless, I invite you to enjoy the following pictures from Tabeguache Trail, just south of Grand Junction, Colorado:

This part of the world is so beautiful that even the parking lots have good scenery.
That flat thing in the distance with the snow on it is Grand Mesa…the biggest mesa in the world!
Parts of this trail almost appear to be professionally designed xeriscapes.
One of my biking buddies, taking his bike places where I would never take a bike.
Another nice xeriscape on the right
Heroic shrubbery!
My companions on this trip
World’s biggest mesa in the distance
Northeast end of the Colorado Plateau, very little of which is in the state of Colorado.

Following our Tabeguache ride, we went on a short hike to an old mica mine via the nearby Mica Mine Trail. This trail sits at the bottom of a small canyon with plenty of interesting rock formations along the way. Check this place out:

After the Mica Mine, we decided to call it a day. A Saturday, specifically. Then, on Sunday morning, we biked Rabbit Valley (right next to Interstate 70, less than two miles from the Utah border). On our way uphill, we ran headlong into a strong, dusty wind. This was not good photography weather. On our way back down, we were moving WAY fast, and I was enjoying the speed too much to stop and take pictures. So, my only pictures from this ride are from the overlook at the top, where we stopped to enjoy the view and rest for a long while…

By the time we returned to the trailhead, the wind had relented quite a bit. This was good, because our next destination was a trailhead just across the Interstate. I take you now to the Trail Through Time…

Water mixed with volcanic ash to form mud.
The mud then dried out, cracking apart.
The dried mud became buried and turned to stone under the weight of the layers above, before erosion brought it back to the surface.
It seems late April is the best time to come here (if you like cactus flowers)
More cactus flowers
Extreme close-up!
Non-cactus flowers
Fossilized dinosaur spine still embedded in the rock!
Lichen…the eaters of rock…
Converting rock to soil since before you were born
Bridge over I-70, less than two miles from Utah. Taken from Trail Through Time looking across at Rabbit Valley area.
So colorful!
I got yer Rabbit Valley right here!
Interesting contrast

Finally, at some point during the weekend, we stopped by a local bike shop, where we noticed this custom-built bike out back:

The most adventurous member of the group decided to try it. He seemed to enjoy it…

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